State warns about counterfeit Colgate

The state Health Department on Tuesday issued a warning about counterfeit Colgate toothpaste that has been spotted in discount and dollar stores in Hawaii.

The department said the toothpaste may contain harmful bacteria and the poisonous chemical, diethylene glycol, or DEG, which is typically found in antifreeze.

The public is advised to discard the product or return to it to the store.

There have been no reported cases of illness in Hawaii associated with the use of the product, but the state is forcing retailers to remove it from their shelves.

The Food and Drug Administration warned earlier in June that fake Colgate distributed in Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania may contain DEG. The fake Colgate has also been found in Canada.

In all cases, the toothpaste was labeled as made in South Africa. Both the FDA and New York-based Colgate-Palmolive Co. have said the products are fake, citing in part misspellings -- "SOUTH AFRLCA" is one -- on the packaging. Its true origin is unknown, according to the FDA.

The product found in Hawaii comes labeled as a 5 ounce tube, which is not made by Colgate.

A review of FDA import refusal records show that over the last year the agency has stopped shipments of Colgate toothpaste from eight countries: Australia, China, Britain, Indonesia, India, Mexico, the Philippines and South Africa.

In recent weeks the FDA began stopping all suspect Chinese toothpaste before it enters the U.S. and has warned people not to use the products because they may contain DEG. The regulatory agency has identified six Chinese manufacturers that use the chemical in their toothpaste products, typically sold in the U.S. at discount or dollar stores.